South city neighborhood uses kickball game with police to build better community

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ST. LOUIS (KTVI) - Members of the Patch neighborhood in south St. Louis came together with police officers from St. Louis Metro Police District 1 for a community kickball game Monday night.

"I want the kids not to be afraid" said Angela Tutt with the Patch Neighborhood Association. "I just want everyone to know that we`re a community and we need to work together for small things like this and for the big things like cleaning up our parks and dealing with our homeless and drug problems" Tutt said.

As police vs. community relations are challenged across the country every day, these south city neighbors want to come together rather than be driven apart.

"We`re really trying to do a lot in this neighborhood and bring it up and not so much focusing on the crime but focusing on the great community we have" Tutt said.

"They're an up and coming neighborhood group that's trying to get their folks involved" said Officer Keith Navaro. "It's fun and it's really good that people see the police engaging with the public" he said.